Chinese media welcomes India's Mars mission albeit cautiously

, Nov 6: The Chinese

has given a cautious reaction to the launch of India's first mission to

by saying that it should not fuel a regional tension between the two neighbours in Asia.

On Tuesday, the Mars Orbiter Mission took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in coastal Andhra Pradesh and is set to travel for 10 months to reach the Martian orbit late next year.
While one Chinese newspaper said that India and China should work together to explore the space and not remain engaged in a competition for the aerospace, another praised India as a nation "full of vigour and vitality" which "boasts obvious advantages and development potential".

The Chinese media said space competition shouldn't fuel regional tension

It also said that India's mission to Mars should act as a reality check for the Chinese and it should concentrate on working close with its neighbours towards creating and maintaining peace and prosperity around its borders.

Another newspaper article said other Asian nations like Japan and South Korea too have well-advanced space programmes but in case of India and China, there is a risk of the space competition leading to regional tension.

Both the neighbours were advised to show caution and cooperate instead of competing just like the USA and former USSR had done in the 1970s following the era space rivalry, which was a part of the Cold War struggle.

OneIndia News